


The Untouchable Moon

by Mutatedbunnies



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Dreamtale, Ecto-Vagina, Fluffytale, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slice of Life in the context of the Multiverse, Smut, smut with plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:53:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23550361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mutatedbunnies/pseuds/Mutatedbunnies
Summary: Nightmare is an unstoppable force of evil in the Multiverse, spreading his negativity as far as he is able to reach. Many fear him, many worship him.But he's gone missing.A "Slice of Life" fic in which one of the biggest baddies in the Multiverse decides to give up his career as a villain and shack up with a simple barista skeleton. How will Nightmare adjust to life as a simple monster, working to make a living next to his partner? And what about the life and the monsters he left behind to pursue his new life?
Relationships: Cream - Relationship, Cross/Dream, FluffyNight, Nightmare/Ccino
Comments: 138
Kudos: 268





	1. Prologue

The moon’s reflection shown in the water, still as winter’s night and undisturbed. Ccino peered down into the pond, his eyes as round as saucers, intrigued by the simplicity of the image he was seeing. 

Nightmare had brought him to this still alternate universe, taking him away from his cafe and cats for some much needed alone time and quiet. But he had disappeared, as he was often wont to do, leaving Ccino alone in the quiet and unmoving world. 

The barista reached out with a pointed finger, holding his breath as he neared the moon’s reflection. He paused just above the surface of the water, finger hovering. He frowned. 

The moon was like Nightmare, so close to him and yet he was afraid that if he were to touch it, it would disappear forever. As if one single, gentle caress and a whispered, “Please stay with me.” would cause it to flee and never return; a scared stray cat that could never stay in one place. 

He let his finger connect with the liquid moon. 

There were no ripples, no movement. The moon stayed in place, his finger an intruding interruption that it had to form its image around. He sighed as the cold of the water sunk into the marrow of his phalange. He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting. Nightmare had explained the rules of this universe well enough before they left. 

_ “It’s dead.” Nightmare had told him before leaving. “Stuck in time without anyone left. Nothing moves; nothing breathes. Nothing happens.”  _

Ccino pulled his hand back, wiping the water off on his shorts before standing up and looking around. Without wind, the dust of the fallen had settled onto the blades of grass, clinging to the stuck vegetation and without anything else to hold onto. One day, he’d be like that too. Nothing left of him but his ashes, desperately trying to remain in place. 

He looked up at the real moon, as full as the day the human had come here and finished their genocide for the final time. This was really how he and Nightmare were, wasn’t it? Him, looking on from far away, stuck in a world so different from the other’s. And Nightmare, always too far away to connect with, and Ccino could only reach out silently, hoping to be heard. 

Perhaps that was part of Nightmare’s allure; close enough to see but too far away to touch. Ccino found himself unconsciously reaching out towards the moon, fingers splayed in eager readiness, his soul leaping with just the hope, just the wish that-

“You know you can’t touch it, right?” 

Ccino pulled his hand back and whirled around, coming face to face with Nightmare. He blinked. Nightmare usually never came back for him this quickly. Usually it was at least a day, on average a few… 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Nightmare’s playful smirk turned down into a frown, his one good eye becoming a questioning glare. 

“I…” Ccino stopped, rubbing the back of his skull. “I wasn’t expecting you…” 

Nightmare cocked his head to the side, studying the barista. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

Ccino sighed. If he answered truthfully, he really was going to be stuck here for days. But he decided he didn’t care; at least if he was in this world he didn’t have to worry about anyone bothering him. 

“It’s just… I’m usually in the AU for a while… More than just thirty minutes…” He looked down at his slippers, now with a few specks of dust clinging to them. 

He expected to hear an insult, and then the sound of Nightmare leaving, but instead Ccino was greeted with the sound of silence that dragged on for minutes. Slowly, he raised his head to meet Nightmare’s gaze, which had turned into a soft form of confusion. 

“Do you not like visiting other AUs?” Nightmare asked slowly. 

“I do,” Ccino began, “But I don’t like being abandoned in them with no way of getting home.” 

Nightmare was quiet again, leaving Ccino to wonder if he was going to be abandoned, once more, at any moment. 

But Nightmare wasn’t one for apologies, nor recognizing his own shortcomings, so instead he offered a hand to Ccino. 

“Come on. I’ll take you home.” He murmured. Ccino slowly stepped forward and took his hand. The familiar feeling of being pulled through one of Nightmare’s portals surrounded him and soon the blackness faded away to the surroundings of his empty cafe, closed for the night. 

“Thanks, Night…” Ccino whispered and took a step back only to be pulled into Nightmare’s chest, his arms wrapping around his shoulders and holding him there. 

“Nightmare…” He whispered slowly and Nightmare pulled back only as far as he could so that he could tilt Ccino’s head up with one of his tentacles so that he could kiss him. 

Ccino sighed, allowing Nightmare the opening he needed to deepen the kiss, running his tongue along Ccino’s. Ccino was slow to respond, but allowed himself to be kissed and slowly let himself greet Nightmare’s movements. He knew what was happening, and he knew where it would lead, but he wasn’t quite sure he really cared. 

Nightmare ran his hand down to cup his backside, using his leverage to press Ccino into him. Slowly they backed towards the rear of the cafe, Nightmare’s tentacles teasing at Ccino’s clothing until they pulled them off, leaving a trail of discarded garments to his bedroom. 

As Nightmare laid Ccino back on his bed, his mouth making sure to taste him in all the right places, he whispered sweet nothings as best as he could. Nightmare wasn’t so good with words, as he didn’t like lying, but with every push and pull he apologized to Ccino, their lovemaking gentle and just the way the barista liked it. And Ccino clung to him, as he always did, wrapping his legs around his waist in a silent beg for him to stay with him; to stay by his side. 

“Please… Please…” He whispered in Nightmare’s ear over and over again, his fingers digging into his back. “Don’t…” 

“Don’t…?” Nightmare asked through his pants, his hips paused in mid thrust as he looked down. 

“Go.” Ccino pleaded, finally bold enough to voice his deepest desires. “Don’t go. Don’t leave me.” 

Nightmare panted once, twice, then began his movements again, unsure of how to answer or what to say. Ccino let out a soft sound, like a cat’s mewling, but he didn’t ask again and instead let Nightmare continue for the umpteenth time that night. If Nightmare wanted to have sex until dawn, Ccino didn’t care. So long as it made him stay with him, just for a bit longer… 

Nightmare moved down and kissed him, quieting him from the noises he continued to make. His fingers and tentacles moved over his body, teasing and touching, smoothing out any discomfort Ccino may have and adding any pleasure where they could. And then he came into Ccino, pushing him up against the headboard and holding him there as he rode it out. Ccino shivered beneath him, something he always did when Nightmare climaxed inside. It always made Nightmare want to start again, to refuse Ccino any peace for having taken away his. But he let himself stall. He pulled back. 

“Ccino…” He whispered, looking down at the person he had visited so many times over countless years. “Is that what you want from me? To stay?” 

Ccino, panting and breathless, was at a loss for words and his mind was still fuzzy and nearly fully occupied with the fact that Nightmare hadn’t pulled out. He slowly nodded, a bit dumbly. 

“Y-yes…” He murmured. “It’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted from you.” 

Nightmare grunted, feeling himself twitch. Maybe post-orgasm wasn’t the right time to make or break promises, but with how helpless Ccino looked and how much he wanted that- to just shack up in this cafe, away from everything and everyone, a place he had never told anyone about and no one could find… 

He leaned down and pressed his forehead to Ccino’s.

“Why?” He whispered, desperately, unsure of himself and of Ccino’s commitment to him. 

Ccino slowly reached up and wrapped his arms around Nightmare’s neck, holding him more tenderly than anyone ever had. 

“Because I love you…” He answered. Nightmare shook his head. 

“Why? I’m terrible. You shouldn’t love me.” 

“Because…” Ccino slowly tried to pull himself out of his fog in order to form complete sentences. “You’re not perfect… I’m not either… But you still try… You try your best with me.” 

Nightmare was silent. Ccino laughed softly. 

“Besides,” Ccino laughed again, “Love doesn’t make sense.” 

Nightmare sighed and kissed him again, a gentle one this time, holding for as long as he could before pulling back. 

“Okay.” He whispered. 

“Okay?” Ccino tilted his head. 

“Okay, I’ll stay.” Nightmare looked down at him, his face as serious as Ccino had ever seen it. 

“You will?” 

“Isn’t that what I just said?” 

“Yeah, I guess it was…” Ccino laughed, then shook his head before beginning to move himself back up and down on Nightmare, still chasing his own orgasm. 

Nightmare sighed and greeted him, unsure of himself, unsure of his decision. But if anything, he was sure of Ccino, the only person in the Multiverse who hadn’t asked for anything from him up until this point, and his request had nothing to do with what Nightmare could do for him. 

_ Stay.  _

That was all Ccino asked. He didn’t ask for powers, or to gain LV, or to return him to his past self, one that was more palatable to everyone. He asked for Nightmare to stay with him, indefinitely, and unapologetically. 

He began thrusting faster and harder, earning an excited trill of laughter form Ccino. It made him smile himself, for once, and with that grin in place he continued until his partner was satisfied, more than once, and they both fell to the mattress in a heap of tired limbs, their naked bodies pressed together. 

Ccino clung to him as he slept, and Nightmare didn’t pull back. But he didn’t sleep. Instead he watched the sleeping skeleton in his arms, He memorized his face, the indents in his bones, and if he knew Ccino wouldn’t chastise him for doing so, he would have even tenderly held his hands and studied the holes in his palms. 

The world was quiet around them, and slowly night faded to dawn, then morning, and Nightmare let Ccino sleep as long as he wanted to. And when Ccino slowly opened his eyes, widening in surprise when he saw Nightmare gazing down at him. 

“You’re here!” He gasped, voice raspy from the night before and heavy with sleep. Nightmare rolled his eyes. 

“Of course I am. I promised, didn’t?” 

Ccino smiled and kissed his cheek. 

“Yeah, you did… Thank you, Nightmare.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't quite what I usually write, but I think it'll be fun to do, nonetheless! Kind of born from a wild hare have just wanting some wholesome Fluffynight content, to wondering what exactly life would look like for Night if he just... ran away. He's still definitely not a good guy, but what if he just got tired of it all? And wanted a slower pace of life for a change? So here comes this, a fic where I have no actual plans for and will probably end up being some kind of craziness.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

The change in the Multiverse wasn’t sudden. In fact, it changed quietly, the balance between negativity and positivity slowly dripping until it reached an equilibrium of noticeable proportions. It happened over the course of months, and it wasn’t until Dream had finally taken notice of his brother’s absence that he began to question the shift. 

He travelled from universe to universe as quickly as good, watching for brief moments as once decimated universes began to rebuild and become happy once more, and finding that the more gruesome and angsty ones were staying at the right amount of negativity without shifting into a downwards spiral. 

For the first time since waking up from his stone coffin, Dream found the Multiverse in a near perfect balance between positive and negative emotions. Which meant his brother wasn’t wandering around, messing with the balance in order to make himself more powerful. But in that, Dream found that he couldn’t locate his brother no matter how hard he tried. He knew he wasn’t dead; he would have felt it. 

“Don’t worry about it, Dream!” Ink told him as they sat at the artist’s table one afternoon, tea untouched before him as he told his friend his worries. “The Multiverse is finally in balance; do you really want to ruin that?” 

“It’s not that I want to ruin it,” Dream sighed, his stomach churning the more he thought about it. “It’s just… It’s not like him! He’s just… Gone! He’s my brother; I have every right to be worried why he isn’t fucking things up  _ somewhere _ .” 

Ink laughed at that, always finding it particularly amusing when Dream’s manner of speech slipped and a curse word or two found its way out his mouth. 

“Just for future reference, if you go around trying to break the balance by fixing whatever he’s gotten into, I’m going to personally kick your ass for it.” Ink chided, taking Dream’s untouched mug and beginning to drink it himself, having finished his own a bit before. 

Dream rolled his eyes and sighed. He wouldn’t go that far… Would he? But he needed to know what happened to Nightmare, even if it was just to put his own mind at ease. 

“I’m going to his lair.” He finally declared, making Ink spit out his tea. 

“You’re going to what?” The artist asked, wiping the tea from his mouth with the back of his hand. 

“I need to see if he’s there. And if he’s not, I need to figure out why.” Dream pushed his chair back and stood, his mind made up. 

“If he’s there, he’s going to kill you.” Ink warned, though he showed no signs of moving to join his friend. 

“That’s still better than not knowing. I’ll see you later, Ink.” Dream gave him a small wave and a smile before opening a portal and stepping into it, leaving Ink alone. 

“It was nice knowing ya, buddy.” Ink murmured before slurping the rest of the tea. 

* * *

Dream sneaked through his brother’s alternate universe, the one he had made for himself amongst one of the many he had conquered. The Guardian of Positive Emotions hid behind trees and crumbling buildings, only peeking out to catch glimpses of the occupants.

The multitude of Papyrus soldiers loitered about, unsure of what to do with themselves now that they weren’t being ordered around. Some sat in groups, playing cards or other games to keep themselves occupied while others clung to the remnants of their lives, marching in lines or in a solo formation over the grounds, as if an intruder would appear at any moment. 

Dream frowned. 

His brother was nowhere in sight, and he knew Nightmare wouldn’t have let his soldiers a moment’s rest if he were around. So where could he have gone…? He became so lost in thought that he didn’t notice the skeleton sneaking up behind him until he was gently tapped on the shoulder. 

“Looks like I caught an intruder.” 

Dream whipped around, sighing in relief when he saw who it was. 

“Geez, Cross, you could’ve tried not to scare me.” He sighed, placing a hand on his chest as if it would help steady him. Cross shrugged, a lopsided grin his only apology. 

“He’s not here.” Cross continued with only a small amount of pause. 

“How did you know…?” 

“Why else would you be here?” Cross shook his head. “He hasn’t been here in a while.” 

“How long?” Dream asked, eager to get as many facts as he could from the one Sans in Nightmare’s inner circle he could trust.

Cross’s face screwed up in thought and he began to count on his fingers. 

“At least a month? It’s hard to keep track of time in this place.” 

Dream frowned as his mind began to work. That was about how long the AUs had been settling into their strange but not unwelcome equilibrium. 

“And he hasn’t been back? Or any word to any of you?” He asked. Cross shook his head once more. 

“Killer’s going nuts. Well, more nuts.” Cross sighed, gently rubbing at his cranium. “Dust and Horror are taking it well; they just sit there and do what they want all day.” 

“And you?” Dream asked. Cross let out a tiny laugh. 

“This is the best case scenario for me. I know you’re worried about him, but I’m happy he isn’t around.” Cross slowly reached up and began to finger the golden heart locket laying against his chest. “I don’t have to do any of his dirty work and focus on my own stuff.” 

“...Let me know if he does come back, okay?” Dream sighed, wrapping his arms around himself. 

“That’d be easy if you’d ever give me a way to contact you.” Cross only half-joked. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t been basically begging Dream for as long as he knew him to let him have some way of talking to him when he wasn’t hanging out in Nightmare’s dungeon or during a fight. 

Dream pouted, his mouth forming a hard line as he struggled with his own internal struggle. There really wasn’t a way around it, he supposed, if he wanted to be kept abreast of the situation. He sighed, finally relenting and reaching into one of his pockets.

“Fine,” He huffed and pulled out a small golden orb, holding it out to Cross who took it thoughtfully. “If you break it, I’ll come.” 

Cross studied it, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger before nodding and tucking it away into the folds of his clothing. He held out his hand once more. 

“And another one,” He grinned. “For just when I want to see you.” 

Dream glowered at him. 

“No. Just the one. I won’t be able to tell if you ‘just want to see me’ or if you have something on Night.” 

Cross pouted sadly, a poor imitation of someone who hadn’t been turned down for the millionth time. 

“Does saving you from Nightmare’s dungeons not count for anything these days?” He huffed. Dream snorted but leaned forward anyway, giving him a small peck on the cheek. 

“There. Now remember, break the orb when you know something about Nightmare. I need to go search the Multiverse.” Dream pulled back, smirking at the befuddled look he had left Cross with.

“Y-yeah… S-sure…” Cross mumbled. 

“Bye, Cross.” He opened a portal and stepped inside, barely hearing the, 

“Bye, Dream.” Cross whispered. 

* * *

For an entire month, Nightmare had been acclimating to life with Ccino. 

For an entire month, Nightmare had been learning that working in the service industry was worse than any nightmare he could have caused others. 

He didn’t mind it, not really. 

However, he did mind the look of disappointment that came over Ccino’s face everytime Nightmare scared off yet another customer. 

“Nightmare…” Came the slow, careful tone Ccino always used with him when he was about to give him a talking to. Nightmare frowned, sighed, then finally turned around from his place at the cash register to face the skeleton. 

“What is it now?” He asked, already tired from what was to come. 

“Um… For future reference…” Ccino played with the hem of his apron as he usually did when he was trying to skillfully critique Nightmare’s coffee shop etiquette. “You can’t ‘splat’ a packet of sugar onto a customer’s forehead when they ask for some.” 

Nightmare rolled his eye. 

“I did not  _ ‘splat’ _ anything onto anyone’s forehead.” 

“Then what’s that?” Ccino asked, gently gesturing a monster sitting a table, slowly peeling a sugar packet off her forehead that had been stuck there with a strangely familiar black goopy substance.

“Oh.” Nightmare snorted, then laughed at the memory. “She said I didn’t put any sugar in her coffee, but she didn’t order any sugar. She tried to fight me on it so I slapped her with it.” 

He chuckled again. Without being to maim or torture anyone when he got annoyed, mildly inconveniencing customers had become the next best thing for the former lord. 

Ccino sighed and crossed his arms, giving Nightmare the stern, exasperated but still loving expression that Nightmare hated so much. He stopped his laughter and waited for the admonishment to come. 

“You can’t do that… Even if they’re rude, you have to be nice.” Ccino tried to explain and when Nightmare gave him a point look he gently shook his head. “I know… It’s not in your nature…”

Ccino rubbed the back of his skull as he frowned in thought. 

“Why don’t you take a break for a bit? Or something?”

“Should I feed the cats?” Nightmare asked.

“No.” Ccino shook his head again, the memory of Nightmare flinging a cat that reminded him of his positive brother into a wall coming to him immediately. The cat was fine afterwards but ever since Ccino didn’t trust him with them - especially not alone. 

“Fine.” Nightmare huffed again and pulled away from the front counter, allowing Ccino to take up his place to serve the next customer. 

For once he decided to go into Ccino’s office, where the skeleton took care of all the financial and business matters for his humble cafe. It was the first time Nightmare had ever wandered in, and quite frankly, the complete and utter chaos that greeted him was enough reassurance to him that he might never want to go in again. But he was already there so he sat down at Ccino’s desk and propped his feet up, eye lingering on the rabbit slippers that had replaced his old, decaying ones. 

_ “Why do you always wear these? They’re coming apart.” Ccino had noted one evening after Nightmare had taken them off for a brief moment.  _

_ “Why would I get any others? They’ll just get covered in sludge.” Nightmare rolled his eye and sat back on the bed. Ccino clicked his tongue before making up his mind and walking over to the trash, dumping the slippers in.  _

_ “You can have a pair of mine.” He announced, going to his closet and pulling a new pair of fuzzy, pink rabbit slippers. “Here.”  _

_ Nightmare grunted.  _

_ “Just get mine out of the trash. I’ll just ruin yours.”  _

_ Ccino shook his head, refusing to relent.  _

_ “Nope. These are a gift.” He sat at the foot of the bed and gingerly grabbed one of Nightmare’s ankles, slipping on one slipper before doing the same to the other foot. “There.”  _

_ Nightmare frowned, watching his sludge immediately move to claim the new articles of clothing, covering them in black within seconds.  _

_ “I told you. Now they’re ruined.”  _

_ Ccino laughed.  _

_ “They’re not ruined. They’re just yours now.” He moved up the bed until he could sit beside Nightmare. “And if those start falling apart, we’ll get you new ones.”  _

_ “It's a waste of time. And money.” Nightmare huffed. He had half a mind to throw the slippers off, but they were already gone with no chance of being recovered. But still… They were warm and they were a gift… From Ccino…  _

_ He wasn’t quite ready to relinquish the first gift he had received in almost 500 years.  _

_ “It’s not a waste.” Ccino pouted but leaned his head on Nightmare’s shoulder, who instinctively wrapped an arm around him, pulling the barista tightly into his side. “Why don’t you want new slippers?”  _

_ Nightmare rolled his eye, again.  _

_ “Because it IS a waste.” He repeated. “They’ll just get ruined with all this crap on me.”  _

_ “...” Ccino paused. “Are your clothes like that too? Night, do you just… let your stuff fall apart?”  _

_ “NO.” Nightmare huffed.  _

_ Ccino pulled back and quickly grabbed onto to part of Nightmare’s hoodie, bringing it close to his face so he could inspect it.  _

_ “Nightmare! There’s just a bunch of holes in this! Aren’t you cold?!”  _

_ Nightmare snorted.  _

_ “No.” He tried to grin as he pulled Ccino on top of him, pressing him down into his chest. “See? I’m covered.”  _

_ Ccino squirmed, refusing to be quieted.  _

_ “Nightmare! You need new clothes!”  _

_ “No, I don’t.” Nightmare still grinned. “I just need you.”  _

_ And with that he silenced Ccino for a final time with a kiss.  _

Nightmare pulled himself out of his thoughts to look back down at the desk littered with papers. 

That’s when he noticed a bill that was almost a month passed its due date. 

He frowned and pulled his feet off, inspecting the bill closer before beginning to rummage around the desk. He was able to find what he was looking for: Ccino’s ledger and check book, but only after several minutes. 

“The mess in this room is so loud I can’t even think!” He cried out in frustration after minutes of trying to sift through the numbers. 

Furiously, he began cleaning, arms and tentacles moving every direction as they scooped and sorted papers into their proper drawers and file cabinets. He even found one of the cats’ toys that Ccino had sworn the very bright multicolored one had eaten. An abomination really had eaten it, but it wasn’t a cat. 

And finally, after everything had been put into its proper place and the surfaces sparkled, Nightmare sat back at the desk and got down to business. 

* * *

Ccino had been kept so busy by customers that he hadn’t noticed Nightmare’s short break had turned into an entire half day until he was waving the last few customers out the door. When he turned around and couldn’t find him, he immediately began panicking, thinking that Nightmare had abandoned him. 

“Nightmare?” He called into the empty cafe, only greeted by the hungry mewls of the cats. 

“Nightmare?” He asked again, a bit louder this time as he moved further into the cafe. 

“Nightmare?!”

“What?!” Nightmare burst out of his office, papers in hand. “Is something wrong?” 

Ccino blinked, then shook his head. 

“No… I just… I didn’t know where you were.” 

Nightmare opened his mouth to give him a backhanded response, but at the look on Ccino’s face he closed it. He sighed. Ccino had been worried that he had left him, again. He supposed he didn’t blame him for jumping to that conclusion. 

“I’ve been working on your office all day.” Nightmare noticed, gesturing for him to come over. When Ccino saw it, he gasped. 

“It’s so clean in here!” He cried. 

“Yeah. I know.” Nightmare frowned, but the barista’s look of wonder made him want to smile. “Do you ever clean it?” 

“Um… Not really?” Ccino gave him an apologetic smile. Nightmare rolled his eye. 

“Do you also ever pay your bills?” 

Now Ccino looked sheepish. 

“Well, um… sometimes… I might… Forget…” 

Nightmare sighed. 

“I noticed. Don’t worry, I got them paid.” 

Ccino sighed in relief. 

“Sorry, Night… It just slips my mind a lot of the time…” 

“It must be hard, running both the front of the store and the back.” Nightmare offered and Ccino nodded before realizing what he had said. 

“What?” He asked dumbly. 

“I know you heard what I said, so I’m not repeating it.” Nightmare huffed. “You’re the only one who works here; it’s obvious some things would fall through the cracks.” 

“I can try to do better…” 

“No, you won’t.” 

Ccino frowned, a bit hurt. 

“Nightmare-” 

“I’m going to be running the back of the store from now on.” Nightmare stated,. 

Ccino blinked. 

“Huh?” He asked, knowing better than to say ‘what’ again. 

“It’s obvious you can’t do both,” Nightmare began, flicking the stack of papers in his hand with his finger, “And I obviously am no good with customers. If we both do what we’re good at, the cafe will run smoothly.” 

Ccino blinked again before grinning widely. 

“That sounds amazing!” He gasped, wanting to fling himself at the other but stopped himself. Nightmare didn’t like surprises, and he respected that. 

“You’re also overpaying for coffee filters.” Nightmare grumbled, setting the papers down. He opened his arms, and Ccino giddily ran into them.” 

“Thank you, Night…” He whispered, pressing his forehead into his chest. Nightmare was quiet for a moment. 

“You’re happier…” He murmured, gently beginning to run his hand over Ccino’s skull. 

“Of course I’m happy… This is wonderful!” Ccino smiled. 

“No… Well, yes,” Nightmare sighed. “But I meant in general, lately.” 

And he wasn’t lying. Ccino was happier. Even if he couldn’t read emotions it would have been obvious from Ccino’s demeanor. He sang in the shower in the mornings, walked with a skip in his step, and smiled even when he thought no one was looking. 

Ccino laughed softly. 

“Yeah…” He agreed, holding onto Nightmare tightly. “It’s because you’re here… I know that’s sappy but… just being with you makes me happy.” 

“...” Nightmare paused before slowly tilting up Ccino’s head so that they were looking at each other. “I am too.” 

Ccino paused. 

“As much as I can be.” Nightmare noted. Ccino smiled anyway. “And I’m not going anywhere, okay?” 

Ccino nodded. Nightmare pressed their foreheads together. 

“I…” Nightmare tried, stopping to gather himself before beginning anew. “I’m…  _ Sorry _ … For worrying you.”

Ccino hesitated, letting the words soak into him. He slowly smiled. 

“Thank you, Nightmare…” He whispered. “I love you…” 

And then Nightmare kissed him, for while he might have been ready to say apologies to Ccino, he wasn’t quite ready to return those three little words. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Ccino woke up that morning, slowly, and before his eyes were even fully open he knew it was going to be a hard day. 

His body was heavy, every breath a great feat of strength. His bones creaked silently, the effort in sitting up almost too much to bear. He sat against the headboard, noting the sunlight filtering in through the window and the empty place next to him. 

How long had he slept? It wasn’t a Sunday, so he should have been awake by now, getting the cafe ready to open. He glanced over at his bedside table, finding the alarm clock smashed to pieces. He frowned, then looked back to Nightmare’s spot. While there weren't any remnants of his lover, he did find a singular, dried rose petal on his pillow. 

Ccino slowly took the petal between his fingers, holding it between his thumb and forefinger, making sure it didn’t crumble in his grip. He knew what it meant; Nightmare wasn’t far, and to make sure Ccino didn’t panic, he left something behind. He also assumed the destroyed alarm clock was Nightmare’s doing, but for what reason, he couldn’t fathom. 

He could feel bags under his eyes even though he slept late. 

Today was going to be one of those days. 

Even though he was the happiest he had been in many years, the melancholy never truly left. 

Slowly, Ccino began to move. First, he stood out of bed. Slowly, he moved towards the attached bathroom. He splashed water in his face and avoided his reflection in the mirror. Then he brushed his teeth, then he dressed. 

_ Why was everything so heavy?  _

He gripped the sides of the sink until his fingers ached. 

He didn’t want to go out there. He didn’t want to face everyone. He didn’t want to fake a smile. Why was this so hard? Why was it harder today than it had ever been? Why…? 

Before he knew it, he was crouched on the floor of the bathroom, holding on desperately to his skull as he pressed his forehead into his thighs, silently screaming at himself to  _ just move.  _

“Ccino.” 

He looked up quickly, finding Nightmare standing in the doorway, frowning down at him in a way Ccino hadn’t seen before. He tried to smile. 

“N-Night…” 

“Don’t.” Nightmare said softly before moving forward and crouching next to him. “You can’t lie to me, Ccino. Not about your feelings.” 

Ccino frowned and looked away. 

“Sorry… I’m sorry… I know it bothers you…” 

“Ccino.” Nightmare repeated, cutting him off and pulling his attention back to him. “What’s wrong?” 

“I…” Ccino pressed his head back into his legs, refusing to look at Nightmare, at anything. Suddenly the light was too bright, the happiness he found in Nightmare too blinding. He sunk into himself, as he usually did, especially when it got this bad. “I woke up feeling bad.” 

“You felt bad before you woke up.” Nightmare explained, his voice soft and even. Patient, almost. Ccino sucked in a breath. He could feel himself beginning to shake, unsure of how to feel at this new attention Nightmare was giving him. Nightmare placed a hand on his shoulder, steadying him. He took in another breath. 

“Sorry…” Ccino whispered once more, unable to help himself. “This just happens sometimes.” 

“...” Nightmare watched him before glancing at the hand connecting them. He could do it, couldn’t he? He could take it all away, leaving Ccino feeling anything but sadness. Happy, fearful, anxious, empty. “I closed the shop for today.” 

That got Ccino’s attention, finally making him pull his head up. 

“You what?!” 

“I closed the shop. I can’t make drinks, or talk to people, and you need your rest. We have enough money to cover one extra day without customers.” 

“But Nightmare-”

“No buts. When is the last time you took a day off?” 

“...” Ccino didn’t have to think long about it; the answer was that he couldn’t remember. 

“Do you want to stay in this bathroom, or can I put you back in bed?” Nightmare asked. Ccino tried to muster a pout, but it fell flat. Instead he looked away again, causing Nightmare to sigh. 

“Okay, bed it is.” Nightmare said before standing and slowly pulling the barista into his arms bridal style, Ccino unable to put up much of a protest. 

“But I’m not in my pajamas…” Came the tiny protest Ccino was able to get out. Nightmare set him back down on the bed, on top of the covers. 

“Then I’ll put you back in them.” He grunted before starting to pull off the clothes Ccino had just put on. And Ccino let him, giving up control and only moving his arms and legs or lifting his hips when it was needed. When he was finally in a fresh set of pajamas, Nightmare pulled the covers over him, tucking him in on all sides with his tentacles. 

“Thanks, Night.” Ccino gave him the faintest of smiles, and Nightmare could have withered into something that looked akin to the rose petal he had left for Ccino that morning. 

“...Ccino…” Nightmare slowly reached forward, running his knuckles over Ccino’s cheek. He wanted to say something, perhaps something comforting. Something more than he could muster. 

“Night…” Ccino returned, letting out a nervous laugh. “You’re glaring at me.” 

Nightmare blinked and forced his face to relax. 

“Didn’t mean to…” He sighed. “I just… wanted to say something…” 

“Night… It’s okay…” Ccino assured him. “I know it doesn’t come natural for you. You’ve already done a lot for me today…” 

Nightmare frowned, then before he let himself overthink it, he crawled on top of Ccino, hands on either side of his head, staring down at him. He looked passed Ccino’s surprised expression as he leaned down, pressing his mouth to Ccino’s forehead before laying next to him, pulling him close. 

Nightmare was a creature of darkness; born from it the moment he bit into the first cursed apple and who had continued to thrive in it. He grew strong from it; in fact, he was pulsing with power just from the sadness Ccino was giving off in that moment. But this was the first time in his centuries of living that he was pained by it. He was pained by the strength flowing through him at the expense of one creature, one lowly monster who should mean nothing to him. 

It was this sadness that had first attracted Nightmare to the universe, where he met its lonely inhabitant, the one who could single handedly fuel Nightmare in the destruction of vast alternate universes. He should be reveling in the power, in the sweet nectar that might allow him to finish his brother off once and for all. And yet, he was crumpled by the sheer force pulsing through him. 

What was it? What would cause him to feel this way? An idea flickered at the edge of his consciousness but he flicked it away. He pulled Ccino closer, nearly crushing him against him in his own need to be close. It was as if he thought that if he squeezed him tight enough, he would wring all the sadness out of Ccino. 

He felt Ccino slowly wrap his arms around him in return, and only a few moments later he felt the first tears fall onto his shirt. 

Ccino wasn’t a loud crier; it was soft and he only took shaky breaths when he needed to. And Nightmare held him, cradling his one sliver of peace in the entire Multiverse in his arms. He knew Ccino’s sadness would never disappear; it wasn’t something that could. He felt it underneath Ccino’s happiness, a monster always lurking just below the surface. It was the first time in a very long time Nightmare felt helpless. 

As Ccino’s breaths steadied and the worst of the storm had passed, Ccino moved up, giving Nightmare a wet and salty kiss, unsure of himself, but knowing he wanted that connection. Nightmare knew it was his way of saying ‘thank you’ when he couldn’t form words, and so he returned the kiss, his own way of saying ‘you’re welcome’. 

* * *

“Nightmare! Look! The post came!” Ccino called the following morning as Nightmare emerged from their bedroom, hours after Ccino had. It seemed the barista was back to his mostly usual self. 

“Great.” Nightmare mumbled, moving behind the counter so he could pour himself a cup of coffee before isolating himself in the office for most of the day. 

“No, really,” Ccino laughed, coming towards him with a large box in his arms. “It’s for you!” 

“For me?” Nightmare blinked. 

“Well, I bought it, but it’s for you.” Ccino thrust the box towards him, nearly falling over from the sudden change in weight distribution. “Open it!” 

Nightmare huffed before taking the box into his tendrils and setting it down on the counter. He opened it slowly, curious but trying not to show it. Ccino grinned, watching him as patiently as he could. Nightmare’s eye narrowed when he saw what was inside. 

“It’s just a pile of clothes.” He growled. 

“I know! Isn’t it great?” Ccino smiled at him and Nightmare quickly looked away, refusing to let his soul pitter patter at the sight of him. 

“You got me clothes?” 

“Didn’t I tell you that you needed them?” 

“...” Nightmare frowned, pulling one article out. Most of the clothes were black, though they varied in styles. “What the hell is this one?” 

He pulled out a hoodie, that had pointed ears on the hood as well as an attached fluffy tail. 

“Okay, bear with me on this one,” Ccino started, “So I have a hoodie that’s a rabbit, right? I thought it’d be cute to get you something similar. That one’s a wolf.” 

“Because wolves eat rabbits?” Nightmare sneered. Ccino frowned thoughtfully. 

“No. I mean, they  _ do _ , but I was thinking wolves howl at the moon, and you’re basically the moon.” Ccino shrugged. “I did buy another, regular hoodie though. I figured you probably wouldn’t like that one too much.” 

“Then why did you waste money on?” 

“Because I wanted you to have it, anyway.” Ccino smiled again. “And they’re all black, so no more complaining that you’ll ruin them.” 

“...” Nightmare frowned down at the box of clothing, and though he tried not to show it, he was eager to dump it out and sift through everything Ccino had bought him. There was a rush of having something  _ new _ , but more importantly, of having things Ccino thought he would look good in. 

“I’ll put them in the washer.” Nightmare huffed, picking up the box and beginning to move towards the back of the store. 

“Night…” Ccino moved towards him and Nightmare stopped, waiting for what was to come. But nothing happened, only Ccino simply pecking him on the cheek, right there, in front of all their customers, for the entire world to see. “Don’t worry about putting them in the dryer. I’ll do that later.” 

“Okay…” Nightmare mumbled, turning away as quickly as he could, not wanting Ccino to see the blush beginning to form on his cheek bones.

Ccino watched him go, a soft smile on his face. 

He was so, desperately in love. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit short, but filled with fluff! 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

There were some things Ccino had a hard time controlling himself around. 

He loved coffee drinks, and drank them nearly all day everyday. It was amazing that he got to sleep at a decent time every night, considering the amount of caffeine he took in daily. He always justified it to himself as having to know the product he was selling, and often he would create new concoctions simply because he had gotten bored of the ones he already had in his repertoire. 

He couldn’t control himself around cats. He was just too fond of the buggers and brought many home until he had a collection to rival any stereotype of a crazy cat lady. And while he found the cats endearing and loving, he also found that many of them could and would come and go as they pleased. The only one that stayed for any amount of time was a pudgy, lazy, blue-striped cat who probably couldn’t be bothered to find another source of food. Ccino didn’t mind; before Nightmare had come to stay, the cat was a reassuring presence in his life. 

Ccino was also a sucker for marshmallows. He kept bags upon bags of them around, some with different flavors, some with different shapes, some that were covered in edible glitter. He told anyone who asked (and himself) that they were for drinks, specifically for the specialty ones like seasonal hot cocoas, but really, he ate them himself most of the time. 

He always had a few in the pockets of his apron and would pop one or two in his mouth at various times of the day. He tried to make sure no one saw him, because they would probably point and laugh at him. The gentle texture and light sugary taste of the sweets was nearly unrivaled by the sensation of them when they melted on his tongue. The entire experience was something Ccino had been hooked on since a child, and he had carried it with him well into adulthood and had no plans of giving it back. He simply wouldn’t be able to survive without marshmallows. 

Then there was Nightmare. 

After Nightmare had come to live with him, Ccino had learned things about himself he never thought he would. For example, he really hadn’t noticed that he would keep the cafe impeccably clean but leave his own lodgings unbearably messy until Nightmare pointed out. He also found out that people saw him sneaking his beloved marshmallows, because Nightmare caught him one day and refused to let the information go until well into the next week. (Ccino could still hear Nightmare’s teasing when he went to fill his pockets for the day, but it obviously hadn’t deterred him in the slightest.) 

But most importantly, Ccino found Nightmare to be the most irresistible thing inside or outside the cafe. 

Having him so near made Ccino’s shifts nearly unbearable. He wanted to be as close to Nightmare as possible, even if it was simply sitting side by side as Nightmare read and he dozed off. Ccino wanted to hold his hand, lean his head on his shoulder, or simply bask in his presence in any way he could. He wanted to kiss him and be held. He was much like a cat himself; wanting attention and affection any chance he could. 

And while most of his thoughts were simple and sweet, Ccino did find his other yearnings becoming stronger the longer Nightmare stayed. Ccino had chalked it up to the fact he didn’t let himself think about the next time with Nightmare before. Ccino had always told himself not to expect Nightmare to come back, to not set himself up for disappointment. But now that Nightmare was here, and had been for months now, the next time could be any time, and perhaps that’s what excited Ccino the most. 

There had been one morning, where the cafe had been slow enough that Ccino let his mind wander and before he could stop himself, he had burst into Nightmare’s office and given him an impromptu blow job. Nightmare had been startled by his sudden neediness, but mostly by Ccino’s rare boldness. 

It was the first time Nightmare had chanted his name like an incantation that soon became a regular part of their love making. 

In fact, the more Ccino showed his desires to Nightmare, the more Nightmare seemed to respond to him. It only helped to stoke Ccino’s lustful fire until the two of them were having sex multiple times a day, each initiating at least once. 

Which brought Ccino to his current position, straddling Nightmare in his large office chair, moving up and down on him on their impromptu, middle of the day sex. 

“Ccino…” Nightmare murmured… No, growled, into his ear, his breathing heavy as he restrained himself from moving to greet Ccino’s hips. 

“Y-Yeah…?” Ccino asked breathlessly, holding on for dear life to Nightmare’s shoulders. He was trying to move quick and deep, since there were still customers outside. He gasped as he moved just in the right way for Nightmare to slip further in, gliding across that spot he knew so well. He moved faster and harder, chasing the feeling. 

“Ccino…” Nightmare growled again. “I need to…” 

“Just let me…” Ccino moaned, doing his best to talk and move at the same time. “I want to-” 

But it was too late. Nightmare had played along with Ccino’s idea of letting him be the only one to move long enough. He placed his hands on Ccino’s and began moving him down, hard, faster, deeper, and rising his own hips to meet him. Ccino cried out, but didn’t stop, allowing Nightmare’s infraction for the sake of his own pleasure. 

Nightmare moved forward, gently nibbling Ccino’s neck, causing the other to make a breathy sound. 

“Nightmare… Night…” Ccino huffed, knowing he was getting close. “Please…” 

“Please… what?” Nightmare implored, running his tongue up and down the exposed vertebrae, sending a shiver down Ccino’s spine. 

“Me…” Ccino groaned, becoming a desperate mess. “In… Me…” 

“That’s dirty talk, you know?” Nightmare sighed, but smirked. “Doesn’t suit you.” 

Ccino laughed helplessly, dropping his forehead onto Nightmare’s shoulder, finally giving up and letting Nightmare finish them off. 

“You… don’t suit me either…” He whispered, and Nightmare frowned slightly until Ccino turned his head to meet his gazing, smiling lovingly up at him. “But I want you all the same.” 

Nightmare hadn’t planned it. He never came so easily. But with those words he twitched, giving Ccino what he wanted in the end. Ccino sat up straight again, this time kissing Nightmare until their tongues met and Nightmare could taste the cinnamon of the drink Ccino had had just before. Nightmare moved his hand between them, grabbing hold of Ccino’s magic and began pumping him, trying to gently pull an orgasm out of him. 

Ccino shivered and groaned as he came, not wanting to break their kiss but finding it hard to maintain. When he had finally given up, he laid his cheek against Nightmare’s, the two of them panting together as they stole a few moments to recover. 

“Night…” Ccino murmured. “I love you.” 

“...” Nightmare moved his hand to Ccino’s back, gently running his hand up and down his spine. 

“Sorry… I know I say that too much…” Ccino sighed, but couldn’t help the smile on his face. 

“No…” Nightmare muttered. “I don’t mind.” 

“Then… I love you, Nightmare.” Ccino repeated. For Ccino, he didn’t have to hear it back. He just wanted to say it, to let someone else know what he was feeling. 

Nightmare pulled him close, letting their ribcages settle in against each other, breathing in tandem. He wanted to say something in return, but had no idea what to, and he feared that if he opened his mouth words would spill out before he realized what they were. So instead, he simply held Ccino tighter, wanting nothing more than to stay here, in this chair, holding his spent lover and contemplating the future and the meaning of things that had been left unsaid. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

At 3am, on the dot, Nightmare woke up. 

He did this every night, like clockwork, because it was the only time he knew for certain that Ccino would be asleep. It was too early for Ccino to wake up, but it was still late enough that he would still be deep in sleep. And Nightmare did not want any intrusions or viewers for what he did every night. 

He slipped out of bed, silently, placing his feet into the warm slippers that were waiting for him at his bedside. 

_ His  _ bedside. 

_ His  _ side of the bed. 

Sometimes he got caught up in the simple things that had come when living with another person. Like having a side of the bed. Sharing a bed. Watching the person next to him as he slept, looking peaceful and at ease, chest rising and falling in beautiful rhythm. 

Making sure Ccino continued to sleep soundly was part of the reason Nightmare had to get up every single night at 3am. 

He didn’t necessarily need a place to work; he could do it anywhere, but he found the office he had taken over from Ccino was a good place. He wouldn’t be far if Ccino were to wake, or if something were to happen. As he walked towards the room, one of the cats followed after him, trying to twine itself between his legs. 

When he had first started living at the cafe, his first instinct was to throw every cat off of him, always mistaking the simple gestures as intruders. Sure, he had hung out at the cafe before, but it wasn’t the same when he was woken up in the middle of the night by a cat yowling loudly for its breakfast ten hours too early. But as time wore on, he became more and more used to having creatures around. 

Nightmare shooed the cat away as he opened the door, wanting complete and utter stillness for what he was about to do. 

He sat in his chair, the fake leather already bringing fond memories back to him. The entire cafe was becoming something of a memory holder for him; everywhere he turned was something that reminded him of Ccino, endearing the place to him more than it already had. 

He closed his eyes, pushing away the memories and thoughts and focusing on the task at hand. 

He reached out with his magic, first searching the entire AU for any hint of emotional abnormalities. Even though he had been first attracted to the universe by the vast amounts of agony it put off, he found that the cause had only been Ccino, and that the rest of the world ran almost the same as the other “normal” alternate universes. There were ups and downs, but for the most part, the universe was neutral in the emotional realm, except for the person who took up 99% of Nightmare’s thoughts these days. 

Nightmare didn’t find anything strange, so he went into the second phase: layering on a protective shield of magic that masked the world’s profound sadness. It was something he had been doing since he had first discovered Fluffytale. At first, he hadn’t wanted his brother storming in and trying to cheer up Ccino. If there was only one occupant in the AU that was depressed, he knew Dream would try his best to change the balance. 

It was why he had beat Dream to what had been left of XTale before the X-Event started. Cross had made an excellent addition to his henchmen, and the pain Dream caused him every time he ran away without him gave Nightmare such joy that he continued to capture Dream and bring him in alive, just so he could bask in those wonderful negative feelings.

But now, Nightmare had a bigger task than simply masking Ccino’s sadness. He had to mask both that and his own aura. He was known to cause others to feel poorly, so in a way, Ccino’s prior loneliness worked out well for him. That meant no one hanging around for him to unintentionally influence, and with him taking up the position of cafe manager, he didn’t affect the customers too much. He didn’t want this universe tipping into the negative, which would only alert Dream and send him running. 

So he took a deep breath and started his ritual. 

It wasn’t flashy nor expansive. On the outside, no one would be able to tell anything was happening. Nightmare would just look like a pile of goo in a meditative state. But inwardly, he forced his magic over the universe, nearly taking all of his energy out of him. It was no easy task, but one he would do again and again if it meant that whatever he had found was kept safe. 

When he was done, he opened his eye and sighed heavily. 

“What am I doing…?” He groaned as he rubbed one of his temples. 

Lord Nightmare would have never gone to such lengths to protect one single skeleton. Especially not one as unremarkable as Ccino. It was funny, really, that he would turn away from his life for someone so ordinary. Ccino, who had no real great talents in the fighting realm, whose LV was that of a normal, run of the mill Sans (and perhaps even slightly lower), who was barely recognizable out of a Sans lineup. 

But with Ccino, Nightmare never felt that he had to be more. More dastardly. Stronger. Angrier. Ccino had never once looked at him as someone to fear, nor as someone who needed to be more than a person. With Ccino, Nightmare felt the rage and need to torture slowly fade into the back of his mind, and while it would always be present, he could feel it recede for the first time since he had bitten into the first apple. 

When he closed his eyes and thought of Ccino smiling at him, asking him, 

_ “What do you think, Night? Pink? Or blue?” _

He could feel his soul beat a little quicker, a little softer, and with a lot of need to simply hold Ccino’s hand and say, 

_ “Whatever you pick will be perfect.” _

And with another pang of his soul, he stood up, finally ready to return to the bed he shared with such an ordinary person. But instead he stopped, glaring at the door as his mind raced, as he thought about the future, what things meant, and what he wanted. 

He wasn’t going to leave Ccino - he knew that much. He didn’t want to, and Nightmare wasn’t a creature who would do anything he didn’t want to. He was uncertain of what that meant, and although he was uncertain he was also very certain. He didn’t want to admit it to himself; it was illogical. He shouldn’t be able to feel that emotion. But he also shouldn’t be able to completely leave the storyline he was destined for. 

Nothing made sense anymore, and perhaps that was truly what gave his feelings away. 

He began walking back to their room, slowly and quietly, giving himself more time to think. He wanted Ccino, but in more ways than just his flesh. He wanted him, wholly and forever, at his side and unmarred by the life Nightmare had lived before. He stopped just before reaching their bedroom door, the light of the moon washing over him.

Nightmare could never go back to his life from before. 

If he went back, it would mean taking Ccino with him, because as they days wore on it became more and more clear to him that he couldn’t live without him. But the life he had was no place for a softhearted and kind skeleton. Ccino’s days would be filled with agony and horror as Nightmare kept him tucked into his side, as the person he chose to rule with him. 

Nightmare scowled at the image. It was filthy, disgusting, and frankly, he wanted to throw up. 

So he opened the door and let his eyes feast on the sleeping figure of Ccino, who was smiling softly and making gentle sounds as he dreamed. 

This is where Ccino belonged. Safe. Smiling. 

_ Loved. _

Nightmare went to his side of the bed once more, slipping off his shoes and crawling back under the covers. Tonight, he did something different. Instead of simply trying to fall back asleep, he pulled Ccino close, kissing his temple and tucking him into his body until they fit perfectly together. 

“I love you…” He whispered in Ccino’s sleeping ear. 

“Mm…” Was his answer, but it was enough. 

For the first time in what seemed eternity, Nightmare smiled. A genuine smile, without malice or hate seeping in it. 

He kissed Ccino’s cheek again before closing his eye and letting himself drift away, the warmth of the other’s body lulling him into a tranquil sleep. 

He would stay, and he would protect what he had at all costs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters are kind of short... Maybe they'll get longer if I ever figure out where I'm going with this XD
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

“We’re almost there, I promise!” Ccino grinned over his shoulder, his hand holding Nightmare’s in a gentle tightness as he led the other skeleton down the sidewalk. 

It was sunny out but not too warm. A perfect spring day for the two to leave the cafe for just a moment. Ccino had lost track of how long Nightmare had been there, but he knew it was time for him to leave and explore the town he now called home. Thankfully, Ccino lived in a timeline where they had gotten to the surface, at a large cost, mind you, but on the surface they were. 

Nightmare grumbled something under his breath and trudged along, feeling the brightness of the world around him a bit daunting. He preferred the cafe, even on days when the sun burst through the wide windows. At least in there he could slink away to the office, or to their bedroom, or even the basement, and take a quiet reprieve. 

But walking with Ccino, hand in hand, had its own merits and Nightmare couldn’t say that this was an entirely unpleasant event. Still, he was curious as to where the barista was taking him and why he had been so secretive about it. 

After a few more steps, Ccino came to a gentle halt in front of a large brick building, stairs leading up to old doors. Nightmare cocked an eyebrow, still frowning.

“A library?” He asked. Ccino smiled at him and nodded. 

“You’ve kind of… read all the books at my place. Twice. I thought you should know where the library was, and to get a library card so you can check out all the books you want.” 

“A library card?” 

“...Yeah, a library card.” Ccino cocked his head. Nightmare continued to stare at him. “Night… You don’t know what a library card is?” 

When Nightmare’s face didn’t change, Ccino sighed and rubbed the back of his skull with his free hand. 

“It’s a card you get from the library -obviously- that lets you check out books. I thought you knew how libraries work?” 

Nightmare rolled his eye. 

“I kind of know. Where I come from, we didn’t have one. I’ve run into them on…” He frowned. “When I was on the job.” 

Ccino nodded, giving him an apologetic smile. 

“Well, you get the card and you can get as many books as you want for free. You just have to bring them back when you’re done or it’s the due date.” 

“Why don’t I just take them?” 

Ccino gave him a look. 

“Would you bring them back?” He asked. Nightmare frowned, growled something that Ccino couldn’t hear, then looked away. “Thought so.” 

“Why don’t I just take them and keep them? What do they need with a bunch of dusty old books, anyway?” Nightmare huffed. 

“What do  _ you  _ need with a bunch of dusty old books?” Ccino countered. 

Nightmare knew he was being contrary, but something in him was wrestling with the fact that he would have a library card. Something so mundane and normal. He sighed. 

“Okay, fine. Have it your way.” He murmured, Ccino’s face lighting up. 

“You’ll like it, I promise!” Ccino smiled and began leading him up the steps. 

Nightmare once again let himself be guided, even if he wasn’t completely on board with the whole idea of borrowing something and giving it back. It seemed arbitrary, and like too much work, but if it would make Ccino happy for him to bring them back, day after day, he would do it. 

Once inside, the smell of dust and old paper completely enveloped them. The library had been here for quite some time, the books pressed tightly together on the shelves as the library’s collection had grown. 

“Go look around; I’ll go to the counter and get the card set up.” Ccino let go of his hand, leaving Nightmare with a strange, empty feeling. Nevertheless, he shrugged and went to explore the shelves.

The shelves were marked by genres, Nightmare passing by them before he decided to commit to any just one. As he climbed the old wooden steps to the top floor, he was suddenly struck with the realization he didn’t know what kinds of books he liked. He would read anything handed to him, but was that because he liked all genres, or was it because he so rarely came across books that he read any and all of them?

His mind drifted to his life before corruption, and how he only had the books Dream gave to him. Nightmare hadn’t been welcome amongst the townspeople, given that they blamed him for everything bad, so Dream was the one who got him books. Mostly they were gifts, but sometimes Dream would trade or purchase books from the shop for him. 

So Nightmare sat on one of the dust-ridden couches and thought about the kinds of books he liked to read. Non-fiction was good because he could learn about worlds. In fact, he knew much more about coffee and coffee beans than he had ever imagined he would just from reading what Ccino had around. Then there was fiction, which came in many different flavors. He didn’t dislike any genre of fiction, unless it was poorly written. Even the romance novels were interesting. 

Now, surrounded by shelving that towered close to the ceiling, Nightmare felt the world squeezing him as tightly as it could. Almost suffocating him with choices. He moved a hand to his throat, grasping the vertebrae there as if it would help him breathe. 

The world was suddenly so uncertain. There were too many choices. What would he eat for breakfast? What would he wear? What would he do for the day? What would he read? 

He was free, and at the same time inextricably caged. 

But there was one thing he was certain of, so he sprang from his seat and went back down the staircase, feet heavy as he moved. 

“Oh, Nightmare!” Ccino called to him just as he stepped onto the ground floor again. Nightmare turned to see him coming towards him, smiling, edges of his form blurred by the dim lamp lights making him seem like a vision from a dream. 

Nightmare swallowed, and his uncertainty was gone. His chest was lighter, and he could breathe easily again. Ccino blinked at him as he stopped just a foot away. 

“Are you okay?” Ccino asked, softly, not wanting to disturb the quiet around them but more importantly knowing Nightmare wouldn’t want all of the patrons hearing his question of concern. 

Nightmare said nothing. 

“Uh…” Ccino knew better than to push it, so instead he held out a sleek black plastic card out to him. “Look! Here it is!” 

Nightmare took the card into his hand, peering down at it. On the front was a simple logo, along with the name of the library. Basic. Plain. Ordinary. He flipped it over, showing a barcode and tiny print he didn’t care to read. But what stuck out to him most was the printed name on it. 

“That’s my name.” He mumbled, squinting. 

“Of course.” Ccino laughed quietly, his cheeks coloring slightly. “I hope you don’t mind, but they needed a last name, and I wasn’t sure if you had one so… I just used mine.” 

Nightmare looked to the name next to his. Ccino was right; Nightmare didn’t have a last name. Not many of the most powerful skeletons in the multiverse even needed one, but he and Dream had never been given one. But the surname felt natural seated next to his. 

Basic. Plain. Ordinary. 

Perfect. 

He looked back to Ccino, who was watching him warily, his worried smile plastered on his face. 

“It’s fine.” Nightmare said, finally. “...Thanks.” 

The worry melted from Ccino’s visage and he sighed happily. 

“Did you find anything to check out?” He asked. Nightmare shook his head. 

“What’s your favorite book?” 

The question took Ccino by surprise and he blinked. 

“Oh, um… I’m not really much of a reader…” He offered, though Nightmare learned nothing new. He had watched Ccino put on the television more than he had ever even looked at a book. 

“But there was this book series when I was a kid…” Ccino looked up at the ceiling. “It was about-” 

“Doesn’t matter. Where is it?” Nightmare interrupted. Ccino looked around, trying to find the section for children’s chapter books. 

“This way, I think.” He nodded to himself and began leading Nightmare once more, weaving in and out of the immaculately placed shelving and getting to the section no faster than if they had simply walked down one row and took a left. 

The children’s section of the library was painted in a bright yellow, the shelves shorter so that the young patrons could reach. There were stuffed animals, play blocks, and chairs and tables colored in primary colors placed haphazardly around. There were bean bag chairs, tissues, and books that had lost their homes. A few children milled about, either running to and fro as they picked up anything that caught their eye or as they tried to decide on what picture book to have their parent read to them. A few stopped and looked curiously at Nightmare, though they quickly forgot about him as monsters and even strange-looking monsters weren’t exactly new to them. 

“Here!” Ccino motioned him to a shelf packed with nothing but multiple copies of different books in the same series. They were all worn, obviously loved by many. “I read these so much when I was a kid. It’s about a boy wizard-” 

Nightmare reached up and took the first book down. Then the second. Then the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and finally the seventh. 

“...You don’t even know what it’s about.” Ccino noted as he watched. 

“Doesn’t matter.” Nightmare shrugged again, holding the pile in his arms and when there were too many, he let his tentacles take a few from them. 

“The third one’s my favorite.” A small voice came from beside them. Nightmare looked down to find a small child monster, perhaps a type of frog monster, peering up at him with wide green eyes. 

Nightmare frowned, waiting for her to scamper away. But instead she continued prattling on. 

“There’s this scene where they take the hippogriff and-” She made a few sound effects as she pushed her hand through the air, as if it was flying, “And then-” she made more sounds. 

Nightmare blinked. He opened his mouth, then closed it, unable to come up with words. 

“You remind me of one of the characters.” She ended, smiling at him. 

“How? Are they dark and creepy?” He asked, nearly glaring. She only laughed. 

“No! He looks scary but he actually cares a lot!” She laughed again. “Only about one person, though.” 

She blinked, shook the thought out of her head, then ran off to join the other kids in play. Nightmare watched her go, glowering. 

“Oh, I think I see what she means.” Ccino nodded to himself. Nightmare sighed. 

“Okay, whatever. Let’s just get these and go home. Children get on my nerves.” Nightmare grumbled, starting to walk back towards where the thought the circulation desk was. Ccino’s terrible leading had gotten his directions mixed up. 

Ccino laughed and followed after him. Nightmare could read his emotions, he knew, but he was beginning to understand how to read Nightmare’s own. Nightmare was more flustered than he was annoyed, and probably from a child talking to him without fear. 

“Wait, Nightmare,” Ccino stopped, taking out a handkerchief as he spied something sitting on Nightmare’s jacket. “I think she wiped a booger on you.” 

* * *

“Ccino?” Nightmare asked, looking up from the page of his book. It was late, they were in bed, and Ccino was curled up to him as he drifted off to sleep while he read. 

“Yeah?” Ccino asked sleepily, burying his face further into Nightmare’s arm. 

“Would it be okay if I gave myself a cut of our profits?” 

Ccino looked up at him, eyes heavy. 

“Sure? You work here too, you should have a salary if you want it…” 

Nightmare shook his head. 

“Not forever, and not that much. I just… I need to save up for something.” He felt a bit guilty, cornering Ccino when he was tired. He knew Ccino wouldn’t ask many questions if he was sleepy, and Nightmare used that to his advantage. 

Ccino smiled and put his head back down. 

“Okay, Night… Whatever you need.” 

Nightmare looked back to the page. He had been reading, but his mind had wandered off and he was going to have to restart the whole book. But he couldn’t get the memory of Ccino’s mere presence calming him, nor the sight of his name next to Ccino’s on the card, out of his mind. 

If he was going to settle into this new, uncertain life, he was going to make sure he was doing it right, and make sure he had the one thing he was certain of by his side for eternity: 

Ccino.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm kind of just... Filling in hole and gaps as vaguely as possible in regards to Fluffytale. If anything, this is an AU and therefor, anything I say is technically canon for this AU. So this is fair warning that some things might not be canon for Fluffytale; I don't believe blacknyanko ever really released a full story, so I'm trying my best. ^^;
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

As soon as the dream capsule broke, the guardian of positive feelings dropped was he was doing and fled across the Multiverse to where Cross had called him. 

“Is he here?” He cried as he exited his portal, his breathing heavy and tight from the anxiety bubbling inside of him. 

Cross looked up at him, his face stern, and that’s where Dream realized where he was. 

A dead universe, covered in dust, the moon still hanging in the sky at its full phase. 

Dream’s portal closed behind him and his face fell, from worry to devastation, and now to confusion. 

“Nightmare’s not here.” He told Cross simply. Cross shook his head. 

“No. But it’s the last place he’s been.” Cross answered, gesturing to the ground. 

In a world where time stood still and the equivalent of ashes covered every surface, anything new was fossilized, like a butterfly in amber. 

Dream followed where Cross pointed, seeing footprints. He recognized them to be those of slippers, which could be any Sans, but then he noticed the indents behind them where something had been dragged, as if the person was carrying ropes. 

“It was him.” He whispered softly. 

“But he wasn’t alone.” Cross nodded to another set of track, also slippers, but they mingled with the ones the dark twin had left. 

“Who?” Dream asked, knowing he wouldn’t have an answer. If it had been anyone they were aware of, Cross would have asked them. But Nightmare didn’t really associate with any Sans who continued to wear slippers once they had left their home world. 

Cross watched as Dream stared down at the tracks, his brow furrowed in concentration. 

“Dream…” He slowly spoke, words careful, “You realize where this is, right?” 

Dream looked up, as if Cross had yelled. He looked from left to right, then up and down. 

He hadn’t been here in so long, and the universe had been dead for longer that he had forgotten its signature feeling. His heart sank. 

“Why would he come to Dreamtale? And who would he even want to bring here?” 

Cross shook his head. He didn’t have any answers, and had only provided Dream with more questions. It had taken him an odd number of months to even track down the last place Nightmare had been; who knew how long it would be before they got a hint as to where he had gone. The second set of tracks could be a clue - if there weren’t millions upon millions of Sanses who wore the exact same slippers. 

The longer they took to find more clues, the more Nightmare’s trail got colder. 

Cross didn’t think they would have any chance of finding Nightmare unless Nightmare wanted to be found. 

But he couldn’t tell Dream that. 

As if the energy had been sucked out of him, Dream stumbled back until his legs could no longer hold him and he fell to the ground, seated in the last place his brother had been in the known Multiverse. 

“Dream-” Cross moved forward, but the guardian didn’t give him a chance to speak. 

“Where would he have gone? No one in the Multiverse is strong enough to take him down - not even Error. He’s not dead, and with the amount of angst the Creators make he’s strong enough not to get kidnapped. How could he just disappear? And why?” Dream hugged his knees close to his chest, burying his forehead into them. 

Cross sat down next to him, frowning before stripping off his jacket and placing it around his shoulders, as he often had in the past, and Dream immediately grabbed onto it, pulling it tightly around himself. 

They sat in silence, letting the questions hang between like their many unspoken feelings. 

“Is he with the person who was here?” Dream’s voice was meek, but Cross caught the accusation and betrayal lingering in his tone. 

“Dream…” Cross repeated, softly, watching him closely. “We can’t know anything for sure…” 

But that didn’t stop Dream’s mind from flying from scenario to scenario, each ending with him losing his brother, for good. 

A single, golden tear fell down his cheek bone, but Cross was there to wipe it away, bringing Dream back to him. 

“Cross…” He whispered, but quickly buried his head into Cross’s shoulder, hiding away from thoughts of his brother, of what he was doing, and letting him be the scared, abandoned child he had never been allowed to be. 

Cross pulled him into his chest, holding him gently. He knew Dream well enough to know the golden boy wasn’t one for sobbing, but he felt the front of his shirt getting wet with Dream’s silent tears. There was nothing he could do, nor say, to help Dream, so instead he held him, offering him the one thing that was completely his to give. 

Dream took in a shaky breath. 

“What do I do now, Cross?” He asked quietly, his voice tired, strained. “What do I do if I don’t live for him?”

Cross was quiet, gently stroking the back of his skull. 

“You get to live for yourself now, Dream.” He finally whispered, causing Dream to look up and meet his eyes. 

“Myself?” Dream asked, as if he had never thought of that. And it struck him then that he hadn’t. He had never let himself stop and think for long enough to decide what he would do if he was suddenly free from his fate. 

Cross smiled softly, sadly, at him. 

“Yeah; for yourself. You can do what you want. Live how you want.” Cross cocked his head to the side. “Maybe you can even actually have a home. You know, a place where you have a bed and all your stuff is there?”

“...” Dream thought about Cross’s word for a moment. A house. With a bed. Even Ink had a house and a bed. But not Dream. He ran from universe to universe, crashing on couches, sleeping in caves, sometimes not sleeping for weeks because Nightmare was hot on his heels. 

He blinked and looked back to Cross. 

“I wouldn’t know what to put in a house.” He said dumbly. Cross laughed. 

“You’d figure it out.” Cross promised, gently reaching up and stroking Dream’s cheek. 

Dream leaned into his touch, closing his eyes. His soul was heavy with the loss of Nightmare - again - and yet it was lighter than it had been since before his brother’s fall. Wherever Nightmare was, it was where he wanted to be. 

Where did Dream want to be?

There were so many things he had never let himself even entertain the thought of. A house, for one, but there were also little things. Like picking up a hobby, making friendships that weren’t dependent on keeping the Multiverse in balance… 

Like letting himself fall in love. 

He slowly opened his eyes, finding Cross still watching him, his gaze intense as always, but Dream had come to know a special kind of look from Cross. One of studying, one of worry, one of complete and utter adoration. Dream smiled. 

“You.” 

Cross blinked. 

“What?”

Now Dream’s cheeks colored at his own silliness, but he didn’t want to back away now. Not when he was so certain. 

“I want to put you in my house.” 

Cross’s cheeks heated, and Dream smiled at the purple that spread across them. He expected Cross to ask him if that was alright, for him to stay, that Dream was sure. But instead, Cross nodded, accepting the offer. 

“Okay.” He gave Dream a small smile. “I’ll be in your house.” 

“I don’t have one yet, though.” Dream pouted. 

“Then I’ll stay until you have one.”

“I don’t even know where to put a house.” 

“Why not ask Ink if you can be his neighbor?” 

Dream’s face scrunched up as if he had bitten into a sour pickle, and Cross laughed. 

“Okay, not with Ink.” Cross looked around. “Why not here?”

“Cross, this is-” 

“Your home.” Cross finished, looking back to him. 

“But it’s dark here…” Dream sighed. “And empty.” 

“Shouldn’t Dreamtale start again if you’re here? And empty means there’s no one for you to influence, so if Nightmare does come back, we’ll be able to leave before he can pinpoint your energy.” 

“You’ll be around.” 

“But I’m always happy when I’m with you. If you want me in your house, you’re gonna have to accept that.” 

Dream frowned at him, trying to hold back a smile and failing miserably. 

Living in Dreamtale wasn’t ideal, but Cross was right, it was his home. The only one he’d ever known, and though it was now devoid of any other creatures, it was still somehow beautiful. He deserved peace and quiet, didn’t he? And maybe being home would help him cope with what his life would be like now. 

“Okay.” Dream relented for the final time that night and bent down, kissing Cross. 

He was ready to let himself indulge for the first time, and he would start with his greatest craving. 

Dream moved onto his lap, straddling him as he deepened the kiss. Cross met his every move eagerly, cupping Dream’s backside. He let Dream be in control, allowing him to undress him there, in the moonlight, against a backdrop of aged trees. But when Dream pulled back, lying himself down on the ground and pulling Cross over him, he knew what to do. 

For the first time since he had met Cross, Dream let himself fully enjoy him. This wasn’t the first time they had made love, but it was the first time his thoughts were completely present. He let himself get carried away in the ministrations of Cross’s mouth as it traveled down his body until it settled between his thighs. He allowed himself to commit every movement of Cross’s tongue to memory and how he sounded as he tasted Dream. 

When had Cross memorized every inch of his body and where exactly to touch? 

Dream pushed Cross deeper into him, singing his praises in the form of mangled sounds. And when he came, Cross drank him greedily, leaving hardly a drop behind. Then, they met, and though it wasn’t the first time, Dream felt as if it were. His body molded around Cross, fitting him perfectly. Had it always been like that? Had their bodies always been made for each other? 

He let his thoughts drift as Cross moved in and out of him, pushing and pulling him to the brink of ecstasy. He cried out his name and begged for more, asking and pleading time and time again for Cross, and only Cross. 

As the night wore on, Dream didn’t let Cross rest. He wanted to be filled to the brim with him, make up for the lost time they had spent apart. That Dream had forced them to be apart for. 

And when Dream was finally spent, and Cross nearly half dead, he curled into him, both naked and twined together as the sun began to rise over Dreamtale for the first time in centuries. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I adore Cream, we probably won't be seeing much of them after this. But they deserved a bit of a resolution
> 
> Thanks for reading~!


	8. Chapter 8

The sound of thunder and pouring rain woke Nightmare up well before he was scheduled to do so. 

At first he grumbled, turned, and tried to sleep, but the sounds pounded into his skull until he could no longer pretend the storm wasn’t there. He sighed, got out of bed, showered, then went out into the front of the cafe. 

It was opening time, but the dining area was empty. Ccino was standing by the window, looking out in the rain as he held a frightened cat close to his chest. Nightmare took a place next to him, pretending to watch the rain but eyeing the barista next to him out of the corner of his eye. 

“It’s weird that there’s a thunderstorm so early in the morning.” Ccino finally said, breaking their silence. 

“Is it?” Nightmare asked, squinting and looking up into the clouds. 

“Hm.” Ccino thought for a moment. “Maybe not. It feels like it’s weird, though.”

Nightmare agreed silently, looking back to Ccino. The cat’s claws were digging into the front of his sweater, its eyes wide as it clung to him. 

“Doesn’t that hurt?” He asked. Ccino laughed softly. 

“What? The claws? Not really.” Ccino shrugged. “This one’s a kitten, so it’s not as bad.” 

Nightmare clicked his tongue at that, eye roaming around the cafe. They had been seeing an influx of kittens lately, each with their own characteristics that told them exactly who the parents were. And much like their parents, they came and went as they pleased, Nightmare never understanding and knowing where they were coming from. Often, the cats just showed up, then left, and then back again when they felt like it. He had given up on trying to make sense of it. 

With the next clack of thunder, the kitten jolted and sprang from Ccino’s arms, launching itself straight into Nightmare’s chest before bouncing off him, landing on its paws, and running deeper into the cafe. Another kitten followed after it, as if trying to make sure it was okay. 

“I don’t remember those two.” He huffed, brushing imaginary cat hair off his own sweater. 

“I think they’re new.” Ccino admitted. “But for the life of me I can’t figure out who their parents are.” 

Nightmare shrugged, deciding to let the conundrum roll off his shoulders. Now that Ccino’s arms were empty, he decided to fill his own by pulling the barista into him, letting Ccino rest his head on his chest. 

“And you’re not scared?” Nightmare asked. Ccino laughed again, a sound that had become so familiar to Nightmare that he didn’t think he could stand going a day without hearing it ever again. 

“No.” Ccino snorted, looking back to the rain. “It’s kind of pretty… But it’s keeping my customers away.”

Nightmare looked at the clock placed on the back wall. It was only a few minutes shy of seven in the morning, usually a rush hour as people passed by on their way to work. Ccino sighed and reached for, turning the ‘open’ side over, showing that they were closed. 

“It’s probably best if we just wait until the storm passes.” He sighed, leaning back into Nightmare once more. He looked up at him, smiling gently. “You’re quiet today…”

Nightmare gently ran his knuckles over Ccino’s cheek, studying him with an intensity that only his lover knew wasn’t hostile. It was a look Nightmare had had quite often lately, and While Ccino understood Nightmare meant no harm by it, he still didn’t know what he was thinking. So he just returned Nightmare’s gaze, waiting for the mood to pass as it usually did. 

“You look just like the rest of them.” Nightmare murmured, to which Ccino’s brows furrowed in confusion before the other continued. “Like all of the other Sans’s.” 

“Thanks?” Ccino frowned slightly. Nightmare shook his head. 

“You look like them… But…” The words caught in Nightmare’s throat, and he gritted his teeth against the urge to let the conversation drop. “But… you’re so much more beautiful.” 

Ccino’s cheekbones colored in a brilliant purple and he began to sink down into his turtleneck, a defense mechanism for when he was much too flustered to greet his attacker head on. When his face was half buried into his turtleneck, he finally looked back up at Nightmare, who was now smirking softly, watching him as he struggled to say or do anything. 

Ccino slowly reached out, gently gripping the front of Nightmare’s sweater, holding it gingerly between his thumb and forefinger. He tugged once, twice, then dropped it. 

“You can speak, you know.” Nightmare cocked a brow, causing Ccino to sink further into his shell. Nightmare rolled his eyes playfully, wrapping his arms around Ccino and placing his chin on the top of his head. “Fine, I won’t compliment you anymore.” 

Ccino squeaked in indignation, causing Nightmare to chuckle. Instead of saying anything, he simply held Ccino close to him, feeling his body pressed against him, warming him. It was these little moments that Nightmare enjoyed the most, when he could simply hold Ccino and let the calm the barista brought to him wash over him. His breathing steadied, and he felt the raw emotions that had often caused him to go berserk fade into the back of his mind. Ccino had become his panacea, the only thing that calmed him. 

He loved Ccino, and leaving him was the furthest thing from his mind. 

“Nightmare…” 

Nightmare pulled back, looking down at Ccino, who still wasn’t quite ready to come out of his shell. 

“Thanks.” He whispered, voice muffled by his turtleneck. Nightmare smiled, a tiny, soft one, but a smile nonetheless. He pressed a kiss to Ccino’s forehead, letting his mouth linger, as if he could transfer all of the love he felt for him into him. Then he pulled back, finding Ccino trying to sink further into his sweater, the start of the neck now on the bridge of his nose. 

“If you keep that up, I’m going to take that sweater off of you.” Nightmare growled, reaching up and gently pulling the sweater back down. “I said you’re beautiful; that means I want to see your face as much as possible.” 

Ccino squeaked, then was once again diving into the neck of his sweater, this time trying to desperately pull it completely over his skull. Nightmare sighed and rolled his eyes. 

“You have until the count of three to come out of there…” He huffed. Ccino shook what Nightmare assumed was his head, turning his whole body in the process. 

“One…” 

Ccino shook his head again. 

“Two…” 

Ccino paused, but made no sudden movements. 

“Three.” Nightmare reached down, grabbing the hem of Ccino’s sweater and began to yank it up. Ccino scrambled, grabbing it and pushing it back down, his head popping out of the neck in the process. 

“Fine!” Ccino gasped, his face now covered in a purple blush. Nightmare smirked but said nothing, letting his fingers run over Ccino’s cheeks once again before cupping his chin, forcing him to look at him. 

“Thank you.” Nightmare whispered, pulling his hand back. Ccino sighed. 

“You… look good, too… you know…” Ccino muttered, pouting. Nightmare blinked and cocked his head. 

“You don’t have to say something just because I complimented you.” Nightmare watched him steadily. Ccino blushed again, this time out of frustration. 

“You always act like this, Night!” He gasped, stamping a foot. Nightmare would have remarked about how he was acting like a spoiled, cute child, but his words had him puzzled. 

“Act like what?” He asked. Ccino frowned and ran a hand over his skull. 

“You act like… Like…” Ccino groped for the right words. “Like you’re gross or something.”

Nightmare nonchalantly looked to the ooze covering his body, then to the tentacles sprouting out of his back before looking back to Ccino. He shrugged. 

“Nightmare…” Ccino grumbled, slowly reaching forward and placing his hands on Nightmare’s cheeks. “When I wanted to get you new clothes, you were so against it… You said you would ruin them… And everytime I try to compliment you, you just shrug it off.” 

Nightmare watched him, his face giving none of his emotions away. But the way Ccino was pouting angrily up at him made him want to kiss him, stopping any more words from tumbling out of his mouth. 

“You’re not gross. At least, not to me.” Ccino huffed. “The first time I saw you, I wanted you. In any way I could have you. You drive me crazy, Night. Before… Before you lived here… I thought I would die if I didn’t see you just one more time.” 

Before Nightmare could stop it, his cheeks heated up as he showed Ccino his blush for the very first time. He wanted to make a joke, or to tease Ccino, but instead he flattered, giving the barista the opportunity he needed to press him up against the window, their mouths meeting so harshly that their teeth clicked together. 

Ccino’s sudden forcefulness left Nightmare breathless, nearly melting as Ccino took things into his own hands. Ccino deepened the kiss, and when he wasn’t satisfied from that, he moved to Nightmare’s neck, his hands roaming over Nightmare’s stunned, yet willing body. 

Then they were on the floor, Ccino greedily pulling his clothes off and all he could do was moan and beg, letting the barista’s mouth and tongue work him into a mess. Nightmare took great enjoyment out of pleasuring Ccino until he couldn’t speak coherently; he had never thought that Ccino might find the same enjoyment. 

“Ccino…” He grunted, feeling his magic form. He was embarrassed, and needy, but thankfully they were out of view from any passersby, and he wouldn’t have to live this down the next time one of their neighbors spotted him. 

“Night…” Ccino whispered in return, looking up at him as his fingers moved around the hem of Nightmare’s shorts.

“Please…” Nightmare finally grunted and Ccino smiled, pulling back the clothing to reveal Nightmare’s need. 

“Night… Is this…?”

“Yeah. Just… Do it.” 

Ccino let his hand move down, finger dipping into the slit of Nightmare’s magic. Nightmare breathed heavily and spread his legs, silently asking for Ccino to continue. The barista came back up, suckling on his jaw as his fingers explored, finding the sensitive bud when Nightmare gasped. He pressed his finger into it, teasing his lover before moving it between two fingers. 

“I love you, Night…” Ccino whispered, pulling back to watch Nightmare’s face. Nightmare opened his mouth to reply, but then Ccino disappeared, his hand pulling away from his magic and spreading his legs just before his mouth took up his hand’s ministrations. 

Nightmare didn’t want to miss a moment, but Ccino’s tongue was driving him into ecstasy, and he closed his eye, trying to hold his orgasm off just a little longer. He heard Ccino moan as he tasted him and he shivered, toes curling. 

He was a mess. An utter wreck. And he wanted more. 

Nightmare reached down, gently cupping Ccino’s head and pressing him deeper into him, hearing the barista groan loudly in response. Ccino moved his tongue down, pushing it deep inside him as his fingers continued to tease him. 

“Stars, Ccino…” Nightmare groaned, his eye opening again. He could hear Ccino’s muffled laughter in response. 

Nightmare was close… So close… 

Then Ccino was pulling away, and Nightmare glared at him. 

“Sorry…” Ccino shrugged slightly, beginning to peel away his own clothes. Nightmare wanted to say something, but his body was hot and shuddering as he anticipated what was coming next. 

Ccino bent down, kissing him again, moving slowly as he pushed into Nightmare, gasping into his mouth as his wet heat formed around him. Nightmare made his own sounds, the feeling of someone entering him strange but not unwelcome. As long as it was Ccino, he could handle it. Ccino began to move, a steady rhythm. Nightmare grunted and groaned, letting Ccino move above him in a perfect rhythm. 

Ccino pulled back slightly so he pant freely. 

“Night… Night… Night…” He chanted into his neck, the sound soft, delicate, and loving. Nightmare wrapped his legs around his waist, pulling him deeper. 

“Ccino…” He answered, his voice unnervingly steady against Ccino’s pitiful pleasure. 

Ccino sped up, seeming to return to the same force he had started off with, their bodies creating an orchestra as they met, coupled with the needy sounds erupting from their throats. 

This was the first time he had let Ccino top, wasn’t it? Now that Ccino was driving him into the floorboards, Nightmare couldn’t fathom why. He wanted more. He wanted Ccino deeper. He finally let go of control, allowing Ccino to freely express himself. 

And when he looked up, their eyes meeting and Ccino looking down at him like he was a god, Nightmare crumbled. 

“Ccino!” He cried out, feeling his body shudder and come. Ccino paused, but when his own body didn’t reach orgasm, he continued moving, pushing harder and faster into Nightmare, desperate for his own release. 

Nightmare laughed softly, feeling himself returning to his usual demeanor. He tilted his hips up, letting Ccino sink even further into him. 

“Come on, Ccino…” He coaxed, reaching up and gently stroking Ccino’s sweaty skull. “You can do it.” 

Ccino trembled, still unfinished but chasing the promise of completion. 

“Ccino…” Nightmare said again, this time softer, less wild. “Ccino… I love you.” 

Ccino’s eyes widened and he halted, feeling his orgasm overtake him before he could react. Nightmare grunted at the sensation, but pulled Ccino into him so he could finish his orgasm sheathed completely in him. Then Ccino tumbled on top of him, laying over him and panting, not ready to pull out and leave their new closeness behind. 

Nightmare simply stroked his back, holding him gently as Ccino recovered. 

“Y-you love me?” Ccino finally whispered. 

“I thought it was obvious.” Nightmare huffed, knowing full well it wasn’t obvious. 

“I love you too…” Ccino returned, finally beginning to pull back. “I love you a lot, Night…”

“I know…” Nightmare mumbled, watching him gently. Ccino stopped briefly to look him in the eye. “And I love you a lot too, Ccino.”

This time, Ccino didn’t have a turtleneck to dive into, but he smiled, pulling out of Nightmare and lying beside him on the floor he was going to have to scrub in a few moments. 

“I’ll never leave you, Ccino…” Nightmare added, almost as an afterthought. Ccino curled into him, his vivaciousness leaving him. 

“I don’t want you to leave…” Ccino whimpered. Nightmare snorted.    


“I don’t want to leave.” 

Ccino smiled at him. 

“I believe you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updating the rating to Explicit after this chapter. *dabs*
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading!


End file.
